How to disable directory listing in Apache

Directory listing in Apache is provided by the AutoIndex module. If enabled, Apache will show the list of files and folders if no DirectoryIndex files are present in a particular path or folder.

It's a handy feature for sure but you might want to disable directory browsing for security or any other other reasons.

Automated directory index for Apache could be disabled by disabling mod_autoindex altogether, set appropriate options in Apache configuration file or by using htaccess file.

The easiest way is probably to disable the autoindex module entirely and disabling the module would affect all the sites hosted on the server.

1. Open Apache's configuration file using your preferred text editor.

   $ sudo vi /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

   Apache configuration files

2. Disable autoindex module by searching and commenting the LoadModule directive for autoindex.

   #LoadModule autoindex_module libexec/apache2/mod_autoindex.so

   How to enable or disable Apache modules

   User of Ubuntu and Debian derivatives can use a2dismod utility to disable the module.

   $ sudo a2dismod autoindex

3. Restart Apache for the changes to take effect.

   How to start, restart and stop Apache service

You can add -Indexes to Options directive in Apache's configuration file to fully disable directory listing, or add the same -Indexes option into Directory configuration to disable the feature per-directory.

1. Open Apache's configuration file using your preferred text editor.

   $ sudo vi /etc/apache2/other/mysite.conf

   Apache configuration files

2. Add -Indexes to Options directive.

   <Directory /var/www/mysite>
       Options -Indexes
   </Directory>

   Notice that it's -Indexes and not +Indexes

3. Restart Apache for the changes to take effect.

   How to start, restart and stop Apache service

If you don't have administrator access to the system or just want to easily manage directory listing on per-directory basis, you can use the above Options -Indexes directive in htaccess files.

1. Open or create htaccess file on the directory that you wnt to disable listing using your preferred text editor.

   $ sudo vi /var/www/mysite/.htaccess

2. Add -Indexes to Options directive in the htaccess file.

   Options -Indexes